If your product photo is dark, blurry, or too orange, it’s incredibly hard for potential customers to see the true value in it. The majority of people wouldn’t give it a second glance and move on to the next shop. No matter how amazing your product actually is.

So we can all agree that getting quality shots of your products is equally as important as providing quality products! (That is, if you want people to buy them.) 🙂

The 3 tips I’m sharing with you are simple, cost about a dollar, and will improve your product shots ten-fold. These tips will work using a simple phone camera or a DSLR camera.

1| Let In As Much NATURAL Light As Possible

Getting natural product shots that will pop and show the true color of your products is all about using natural light. And a lot of it! (You certainly CAN get good product shots using a lighting kit, but that’s another post.) I want you to learn how to do it without any external lighting and definitely without a flash.

You will most likely be taking your photos indoors. Which is perfectly fine. But you need to let in as much light as absolutely possible. So that means…open the blinds (don’t just turn the slats open, pull up the shades.)

You also want to move your product as close to the light as possible.

ISO 400, 50mm, f/2.0, 1/200th

After you have opened the blinds and moved your product close to the light source, turn off all overhead lights. You don’t want to mix natural light with overhead lights and lamps. It will throw off your coloring. (You CAN adjust your white balance on your camera if you have it, however…let’s make this simple and only use natural light.)

2| Use a White Background

There are a few reasons to use white… first, is that using a white background will allow even more light to flood your area. White will reflect off of the natural light that you are getting from the window and cause your product to be even brighter.

It will also allow you to get a faster shutter speed (more light = faster shutter speed and Faster shutter speeds = sharper photos. (If you need help with understanding shutter speed check out this and this.)

The other reason to use white is that it simplifies your photo and allows the viewer’s eye to focus directly on your product. Feel free to add other props along with our product but when you have it all with a white background, it brings clarity and allows your product to shine.

A super simple and cost-effective way to bring in a white background is to simply use a piece of white foam board. You can find this at the dollar store. Set it up behind your product and perhaps even another board underneath it as well.

Your set up could look something like this:

You’ll notice the blinds are wide open and the product is placed close to the window.

And here is what you would get from this set-up:

ISO 400, 50mm, f/2.0, 1/100th

Or you could do a simple set-up such as this:

And here is what you would get from this set-up:

3| Focus on One Area and Blur the Rest Out

Blurring out your background or foreground allows the viewer’s eye to be drawn to the most important part of the photo…your product.

If you have a DSLR camera that means you will want to use a wide open aperture. (Meaning you want a small number i.e. f/2.0, 2.2… on your lens.) When you use an open aperture you are telling your camera you want a very small plane of focus. So anything outside of that plane will be blurry. It’s a simple way to tell the story with your photos. (Need help understanding your DSLR? Check these this and this.)

Situate your focal point over the area you want to be in focus and then snap away. You’ll get photos like these:

A trick to getting a blurry background without a DSLR camera

If you don’t own a DSLR camera but still want to get that blurry look using a point and shoot camera or your phone, the trick is to pull your product away from background /foreground as far as you can and then position your camera so that it is as close to the product as possible to fill the frame. If you’re using a phone, tap your finger over the area you want in focus (your product) and it will bring that portion into focus while blurring the background/foreground.

If you own an iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone X, you can accomplish this trick using portrait mode. It will also cause your background to blur out.

There it is! Easy as homemade bread! Wait…it’s actually way easier than homemade bread. 🙂

Speaking of homemade bread…do you want the recipe I used to make the bread in these pictures? It’s my Mom’s infamous recipe that she has used for decades. (I’ve personally gained a few pounds from this very recipe.)

For the strawberry jam recipe just check the back of the fruit pectin box. I always make the freezer jam version. SUPER easy.

See bread recipe below…

Gloria’s Homemade Bread

(You can also use this recipe to make cinnamon rolls, scones, and caramel pull-aparts.)

5 c. warm water
3 T. yeast
2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. oil

Mix together then add:
3 c. flour
2 T. salt

Mix again and let the mixture sit for 4-5 minutes to allow bubbles to appear from the yeast. Next, while mixer is on low slowly add:
9 c. flour (it may be a little less or a little more. You can tell when to stop when the dough starts to pull away from the mixing bowl.)

After all the flour has been added, let the dough mix for 5 minutes. Next, let the dough rise by letting it rest in the mixing bowl for about 20 minutes. Now divide the dough into 4 or 5 equal loaves. Spray pans with cooking spray and arrange dough into the pan. Let the dough rise in the pans for another 20 minutes.

Cook dough at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. You may have to put a sheet of tin foil over the top of the dough if it starts to brown too quickly. Cool the loaves on a cooling rack.

Want a game-changing check-list that will get up and shooting in the fastest way possible? If you subscribe below, I’ll instantly send you The Photographers Quick Guide to Shooting.

This is the perfect guide for you to reference back to when you are out and about with your camera. Print it out to a 5×7 to easily fit in your camera bag. It lists 6 quick and easy steps to begin shooting along with pictures referencing Aperture, ISO, and Shutter Speed.

You no longer have to miss precious shots while you’re busy trying to remember what to do first.

Jot your email below, and I’ll send you photography tips like this one and send you the Quick Guide to Shooting immediately.

Welcome to Being Katie Brave! I’m so happy to have you here. If you’re looking to take better pictures (stress-free!), get the inside scoop on all things Disney World, or be inspired to live YOUR best life (even if especially if it scares you to death) …you’re in the right place. I ’ve written 3 photography books, our family lived at Disney World for 2 years, and wear my heart on my sleeve…all of which would never have come to pass if I didn’t push past my fears and step in the darkness. Join me as I share my adventure of life, one post at a time.

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Welcome to Being Katie Brave! I’m so happy to have you here. If you’re looking to take better pictures (stress-free!), get the inside scoop on all things Disney World, or be inspired to live YOUR best life (especially if it scares you to death) …you’re in the right place. I’ve written 3 photography books, our family lived at Disney World for 2 years, and I wear my heart on my sleeve…all of which never would've come to pass if I didn’t push past my fears and step in the darkness. Join me as I share my adventure of life, one post at a time.